Grantee Spotlight: The Women In Engineering Program At Georgia Tech
The Georgia Tech Women in Engineering (WIE) program is dedicated to recruiting top female students into engineering majors and, once enrolled, to ensure the highest level of retention by fostering an environment that encourages curiosity, creativity and intellectual and personal growth. WIE strives to redefine the engineering profession as a positive societal force with the potential to improve the quality of life through the creation of world changing technologies.
One exemplary student is Sarah Walker, Class of 2021, who is pursuing a BS in Environmental Engineering. Sarah’s beginnings with Georgia Tech didn’t start with her first day of Calculus 1 as a college freshman. She began her path with Georgia Tech in the summer of 2012 when she was “camper” at the college’s summer camp for middle school girls; TEC Camp. Tec Camp is designed to offer middle school girls an introduction to technology, engineering, and computing. Tech Camp had such a profound impact on Sarah that she returned every summer throughout high school to supervise and inspire a new group of campers. Sarah was wonderful in that role, incredibly patient with her young charges, but also responsive and attentive – she was always willing to lend a hand in any way. Sarah’s summer plans will be the same as they were in 2012: attending Tec Camp; however, this year in a new and exciting role, as a GT student chaperone. Sarah is also involved in our Mentors and Mentees (M&M) peer-mentoring program, which the George Family Foundation supports. M&M is a program for undergraduate female engineering students, where freshmen are matched with juniors, and sophomores with seniors within the same major.
WIE challenges and inspires women to achieve their fullest potential as engineers and as leaders and celebrates their accomplishments and successes. Sarah is an amazing example of the impact and achievements that Georgia Tech’s WIE program can have on young women!
On April 10, Penny and Bill George and Gayle Ober were honored to join more that 500 WIE students, GT faculty, WIE program sponsors and guests at the annual WIE banquet. Held each year in April, the banquet acknowledges the accomplishments of WIE student members by awarding scholarships provided by the many donors to the program. The George Family Foundation is proud to sponsor WIE with an annual grant that not only provides support for the Mentor’s and Mentees program, but also awards modest scholarships to 15 deserving students.
Penny and Bill George and Gayle Ober with the Georgia Tech College of Engineering George Scholars at the Women in Engineering Banquet on April 10, 2018